Cottage Cheese Jello Salad
It seems like there are some foods that people look down on. I have never eaten SPAM for that very reason, most people around me think it is low quality and almost inherently bad. Jello is a food that is seen somewhat similarly; low cost, low nutritional value, and while acceptable it’s mostly a kids thing. Yet while I have had Jello before, there are a lot of variations/recipes using Jello that I have not tried. Most fall under the name, or kind of category, called Jello Salad.
Jello Salads are almost defined solely on combining Jello packets or preparing Jello with other ingredients. A popular one is simply making jello and adding fruit to it before it is fully set, resulting in the fruit being suspended by the surrounding Jello. There are also savory versions that incorporate ingredients like eggs, shrimp, peas, mayonnaise, salmon, and even beef. The savory gelatin concoctions are known also as aspic. It is important to note that jello used to have non-fruity flavors like celery that were used and people used unflavored gelatin as well when creating aspic.
While aspic is rather beautiful in presentation, using molds and layering ingredients in visually appealing ways, it has an element of disgust and confusion. First, some people don't particularly like the texture of gelatin. Second, it is hard to come to terms that something you see as being more for kids is combined with seemingly more grown up flavors. Finally, there is also the thought of “why would you go through all the extra work of putting food that is good on its own in jello?”.
Yet people still make aspic and sweet Jello salads regardless of the majority seeming to not like Jello. It might be family tradition or a bit of a regional thing but Jello salads live on; there are plenty of recipes out there to suit many tastes.
I personally stay on the sweet and fruity side of Jello. One of my favorite Jello Salads is called “Cottage Cheese Jello Salad”. The name does not fully do it justice, and I feel it deserves a better name but it is delightful. I learned about it through my Mom’s coworker who said it was something her grandmother made and was the only way she could eat cottage cheese. And while it looks like a crazy snot pudding, I recommend reserving judgement until you’ve tried it at least once.
Cottage Cheese Jello Salad:
Ingredients:
16 oz Cottage Cheese Small Curd
8 oz Cool Whip
1 small package Jello (Your choice of Fruit Flavor)
1 can of Fruit (you can use any that you would like, fruit cocktail is recommended)
Assembly:
Let the Cool whip thaw slightly
Mix in the Jello powder until fully combined with the Cool whip and no chunks or pockets of power are left.
Fold in your Cottage Cheese
Drain the liquid from the canned fruit.
Mix in the fruit
Pour the jello salad mixture into a fridge safe dish and refrigerate until it firms up. Serve cold.
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